Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD) incidents, though infrequent, remain a serious threat to rail safety. While often investigated as discrete operational events, SPADs are symptomatic of deeper system conditions. Investigations tend to follow linear logics of human error and focus corrective actions on individual behaviour-especially that of the train driver. However, such approaches may obscure rather than reveal meaningful system-wide learning. This meta-analysis used the AcciMap technique to analyse and aggregate findings from SPAD investigation reports (N = 49), offering a unique holistic perspective. A total of 859 contributory factors were identified (similar to 17 per SPAD), with most (similar to 62 %) reported to occur at the level of physical processes and actor activities. The largest aggregate contributory factor being attributed to SPADs was driver cognitive (dis)engagement (63 factors). Thematic aggregation revealed four themes: (1) A signal lost in the noise, relating to information overload in the rail environment and inevitable separation of human attention from signals; (2) Lost in translation, highlighting interchangeable and indistinct use of labels and concepts employed during investigation; (3) Lost in the brake down, reflecting a dominant narrative of driver (in)action and wrong-doing; and (4) Lost in the loop, pointing to surface-level corrective actions that repeated what was expected rather than redesign ineffective controls. Findings are discussed by reflecting on the question: "what might SPADs be trying to teach us?" By shifting the analytical lens from individual to system, this study challenges dominant narratives of driver blame and considers whether current investigations genuinely reflect systems thinking or merely perpetuate an illusion of learning.

Technology-facilitated intimate partner violence (TFIPV) is increasingly featured in cases of intimate partner violence and intimate partner homicide. There is emerging recognition of the use of technology to abuse and control intimate partners in domestic abuse research and the inherent complexity of TFIPV is evident. As such, a better understanding of the factors that influence TFIPV is necessary. This scoping review aimed to synthesise extant literature on factors known to influence TFIPV. The review included 84 peer-reviewed primary sources that focused on adult intimate relationships (at least 18 years of age), had full-text versions in English, and included individual, situational, environmental, technological, and systemic factors found to increase the likelihood of TFIPV. The influencing factors were extracted and mapped onto a systems-thinking-based framework, Rasmussen's Risk Management Framework. This synthesis identified 28 higher-order themes across the TFIPV system hierarchy. Most of the factors within these themes related to lower levels of the system (e.g. perpetrators, victim-survivors, social environment, device and software capabilities), with limited consideration of broader systemic factors that influence TFIPV. Of the broader systemic factors that were identified, most related to inadequate responses to TFIPV by government, judicial system, technology industry regulators, and police. Future research should consider the use of systems-thinking-based frameworks and methods in understanding and addressing this complex and pervasive problem from a whole-of-system perspective.

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), also known as drones, are a rapidly emerging technology that is being quickly adopted in civil and military applications. Although there are many potential benefits, several safety challenges also exist. This requires a proactive approach to design the broader sociotechnical safety system required to support the safe and optimal use of this technology. This study provides a novel application of the Systems Theoretic Accident Model and Processes (STAMP) control structure model to develop a proposed optimal control structure for safe and effective RPAS operations. Following subject expert review and validation, the optimal STAMP control structure served as the basis for evaluating the current RPAS safety system’s maturity and identifying gaps between the optimal and current structures. The findings revealed several gaps at all levels of the control structure. Based on a review of these gaps, a series of required control and feedback mechanisms is presented. A national RPAS strategy was identified as a key control mechanism that could support safe and effective RPAS operations. Overall, the study represents a novel application of STAMP to a rapidly emerging and disruptive technology; the implications for future applications in other contexts are discussed.

Suicide is a leading cause of premature mortality worldwide, making suicide prevention a global public health priority. As more Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based suicide prevention interventions are being developed and implemented, it is important to study acceptance of these AI systems. The present study aimed to investigate the factors that predict acceptance of current and future AI systems for suicide prevention and the perceived risks and benefits of these AI systems. Individuals from the Australian public were invited to participate in an online survey, which included six hypothetical scenarios of current AI systems (Artificial Narrow Intelligence [ANI]) and future advanced AI systems (Artificial General Intelligence [AGI]) for suicide prevention. Participants evaluated these scenarios on five technology acceptance factors (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, trust) and elaborated on its perceived risks and benefits. Performance expectancy, social influence, and trust predicted acceptance of ANI systems, but only trust predicted acceptance of AGI systems. Overall, the level of acceptance was higher for ANI systems than for AGI systems. Several perceived risks (e.g., risks to mental healthcare, distrust in AI, threats to humanity) and perceived benefits (e.g., benefits to mental healthcare, trust in AI, human help-seeking) were identified. AI systems represent potential avenues for effective suicide prevention. However, to ensure acceptance, AI systems for suicide prevention must be developed in a way that is safe, reliable, and trustworthy.

Teams play a critical role in society and represent a key area for Human Factors and Ergonomics. Salas et al.'s Big Five model is widely cited; however, the increasing use of Human-Autonomy Teams (HATs) has fuelled debate over its continued relevance. It is important to reflect on how the Big five model has been applied, in what contexts, and whether applications to contemporary teams are emerging. This article presents the findings from a scoping review undertaken to identify and synthesise the peer reviewed literature describing applications of the Big Five model. Articles were deemed eligible for inclusion if they were published in the peer reviewed literature and described an application of the Big Five model to study teamwork. 38 articles were included in the review and no applications of the Big Five model to study HATs were identified. Over half of the studies were undertaken in healthcare and a range of assessment methods have been used (e.g., questionnaires, surveys, interviews, observer-rating scales, communication transcript analysis). Just under a third of included studies evaluated all model components (i.e., the five processes and three coordinating mechanisms) and few considered the relationships between model components or between model components and team effectiveness. Research is required to explore the validity of the Big Five model for HATs, to gather evidence for the relationship between model components and team effectiveness, and to develop more precise Big five-based measures.

Dysfunctional behavior in active military personnel is a complex and challenging issue for military forces worldwide. Effective management of this issue requires a comprehensive understanding of the factors that contribute to dysfunctional behavior in military populations. The current study presents an umbrella review that synthesized and analyzed the existing literature on contributory factors to dysfunctional behavior in active military personnel using a systems thinking-based framework. Eleven systematic reviews were identified as eligible for inclusion in the umbrella review. The synthesis identified 14 contributory factors to the following types of dysfunctional behavior: suicidal behavior, substance misuse, domestic violence perpetration, and destructive leadership. The analysis indicated that existing literature focuses on contributory factors relating to the military personnel themselves and not influences in the broader military system or wider society. Additionally, few studies have sought to understand how factors interact to create dysfunctional behavior. Future research would benefit from the use of systems thinking-based frameworks and methods to investigate the factors, across the broader military system and society, that contribute to dysfunctional behavior in active military personnel.

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) are a rapidly expanding technology that operates within the larger complex aviation system. As a result, protective frameworks and risk controls for supporting safe operation are still developing. Adverse events are occurring, yet it is unclear what systemic factors interact to create them. To identify vulnerabilities in the broader Australian RPAS network, this study used AcciMap to analyse a set of adverse RPAS events investigated by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Investigation reports into RPAS incidents in Australia (n = 14) were identified and analysed in-depth with AcciMap; individual AcciMaps were constructed for each adverse event. The data was then aggregated to create a network of contributory factors across the RPAS network in Australia. The findings revealed 232 individual contributory factors across five of the six AcciMap levels. The contributory factors were then coded using a pre-existing classification scheme to identify 31 contributory factor themes. The highest proportion of contributory factors were at the lower operational and equipment levels of the system; these factors included Equipment, technology and resources; Activity, work and operations; and Compliance with procedures, violations and unsafe acts. According to systems theory and previous analyses using AcciMap, we would expect to find organisational, regulatory and government contributory factors, yet such factors were limited in this sample. Further research is required to explore the factors across the entire sociotechnical system that contribute to adverse RPAS events.

Preventing and managing work-related violence (WRV) in hospitals is a significant and complex issue. To date, there have been extensive efforts to address this workplace health and safety issue through establishment of policies, standards, and staff training initiatives. Despite these efforts, WRV continues to represent a critical risk. Given the multi-faceted and complex nature of WRV in healthcare, systems thinking approaches offer a novel and promising way forward. However, the practical application of systems thinking in healthcare safety management practice requires further exploration. The overall objective of this study was to address the research-practice gap by supporting the application of systems thinking for addressing WRV in hospitals. Two studies were undertaken to achieve the objective. The first study aimed to develop a systems thinking-based model of safety management for the prevention and management of WRV in hospitals, and to use this model to prioritise resources for further development. The second study aimed to evaluate the three systems thinking-based safety management resources (supporting risk assessment, incident investigation and reporting culture) via a series of stakeholder workshops. Participants considered the resources to be practical and appropriate for implementation in the hospital sector. Several barriers to implementation of the resources were also raised by participants, and it is recommended these be addressed to support uptake in practice.

Substantial evidence suggests that university students experience poor mental health. However, the majority of previous studies focus on undergraduate student populations and common mental disorders (e.g. depression and anxiety). Less is known about the mental health of PhD students, specifically, their experiences of suicidality. The present study aimed to explore the experiences of suicidality among PhD students in Australia. PhD students across Australian universities were invited to complete an online survey. A sample of 299 participants completed the suicidality measure administered (Suicide Behavior Questionnaire-Revised), and results indicate that approximately 37% of participants were at risk of suicide. A subsample of 79 participants (58% at risk of suicide) provided textual response to elaborate on their suicidality experiences, and qualitative content analysis indicated that there were experiences of suicidality that were unrelated to the PhD but also experiences of suicidality that were related to the PhD. Several risk factors for suicidality were mentioned by participants, including PhD pressures and stress, and anxiety about the future. Protective factors that were mentioned included the PhD providing a sense of purpose and the presence of social and psychological support. These results call for action in higher education systems, with the findings suggesting opportunities for universities to implement strategies that better safeguard the mental health of PhD students.

Systems human factors and ergonomics (HFE) methods are increasingly being applied to diverse problems across various domains. This scoping review identified peer-reviewed applications of systems HFE methods to determine which methods have been applied, in what domains, and for what purposes. Four databases (Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, and Sage) were searched for articles that applied systems HFE methods. After applying a set of inclusion criteria, 367 peer-reviewed articles were included in the review. The review revealed a growth in applications of systems HFE methods over time. Overall, cognitive work analysis (CWA) was the most frequently applied, closely followed by functional resonance analysis method (FRAM) and systems theoretic accident model and process-system-theoretic process analysis (STAMP-STPA). Most applications of systems HFE methods have occurred in the Healthcare domain, and approximately one-third of the articles involved the application of multiple HFE methods, with an increasing number of these including mathematical modeling such as Systems Dynamics and Agent Based Modeling. The review suggests there is a continued demand for both qualitative and quantitative outputs in systems HFE applications. As problem spaces and system complexity continue to intensify, evaluation, and potential adaption of methods may be required, including using more than one method. The challenge of matching methods to problems continues. To select appropriate methods, consideration should be balanced between factors such as the type of system being examined, the effort required to apply the method(s), the level of complexity of the system, and the necessary output.

Young driver safety remains a road safety priority due to the over-representation of this cohort in crashes, fatalities and injuries. Speeding is recognised as a key contributor to traffic crashes, particularly within this population. Traffic safety culture is a growing area of research that considers the shared attitudes, values and beliefs of communities relating to road safety behaviours. However, the traffic safety culture of young drivers is under-researched and has not been conceptualised for speeding behaviour specifically. The current study applied an exploratory approach paired with systems thinking to discern the traffic safety culture of young drivers in Queensland, and in sub-groups of young drivers (general population females, general population males and car enthusiasts). Further, factors across the road transport system were investigated for their impact on traffic safety culture and speeding behaviour. A sample of 27 young drivers from Queensland participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis revealed key factors of a general traffic safety culture that exist across the young driver groups. Further, the findings showed that factors across the whole road transport system impact young drivers’ traffic safety culture to varying degrees. The findings provide insight into how the system could be adapted to encourage safer behaviour in young drivers. It is suggested that a holistic approach spanning the road transport system be applied to integrate strategies which promote a positive traffic safety culture around speeding within the young driver cohort.

Acute stress exposure can significantly impact a train driver's capacity to maintain safe train operations. However, research examining how train drivers perceive the impacts of acute stressors is limited. This study investigated train driver perceptions regarding performance impacts of stressful events and potential strategies for reducing negative impacts. 71 Australian train drivers were presented with three stressful event scenarios via an online survey and asked to rate the impacts on driving performance. Results showed that participants perceived that stress would enhance performance, but that impacts differed depending on the event type. The findings suggest that train drivers may not be subjectively aware of negative impacts of acute stress, which has important practical implications for risk management following an incident. Qualitative results revealed the most frequently reported stress impact related to cognition. Practical implications and future research directions to prevent and manage stressful event exposure are discussed.

A critical but often overlooked road safety concern is gender differences in road safety issues. The limited investigations have reported gender differences in road safety issues such as traffic accident rates and crash injuries. An emerging road safety issue is the safety of gig workers. Despite the exponential growth of the gig economy, little is known about road safety issues faced by gig workers, including gender-specific road safety issues. The present study aimed to investigate whether there are gender differences in gig workers' involvement in road safety incidents and the likelihood of reporting incidents when gig working. Gig workers who provide, or have provided, ride-hailing, courier, and food delivery services via digital platforms in Australia were invited to participate in an online survey on their involvement in road safety incidents and the likelihood that they would report road and personal safety incidents when gig working. Data from 71 gig workers (35 female gig workers; 36 male gig workers) were reported in the study. No gender differences were found in their involvement in road safety incidents and the likelihood of reporting road and personal safety incidents when gig working. Despite the lack of gender differences observed, findings from the study contributed to the research field and to closing the gender data gap. A research agenda is proposed for further data collection in gig work using a systems thinking approach to better our understanding of factors influencing the gendered participation in the gig workforce, and the health, safety, and wellbeing of gig workers.

Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) are an emerging technology that can read the brain signals of users, derive behavioral intentions, and manifest them in the control of electronic technologies. While there are potentially great benefits of this technology, there may also be risks associated with their use. However, it is not clear if these risks are being considered in the early BCI literature. This systematic review aimed to identify the scope and types of BCI risks discussed in the literature and the methods used to identify these risks. Following the PRISMA protocol, 1184 articles were initially identified with the final selection of 58 published articles following systematic exclusion. Analysis of the included articles derived 20 different risks, which were categorized into seven risk themes spanning physical health risks through to legal and societal concerns. Only one study in the review used a method of risk assessment, with most articles identifying risks through discussion and opinion pieces. The findings highlight a lack of an empirical and comprehensive understanding of the risks that BCI technology could pose. It is concluded that further work is necessary to proactively identify BCI risks using formal risk assessment methods to inform early users and to direct risk control measures for BCI developers and regulators.

There are increasing calls for the application of systems ergonomics methods in healthcare, although evidence for their utility and uptake is limited. In this study, 67 Australian healthcare workers participated in a six-month longitudinal study where they were trained to apply the AcciMap adverse event analysis and Net-HARMS risk assessment methods. Data were gathered in line with the RE-AIM (Reach, Efficacy, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) evaluation framework, including rates of organisational uptake and method validity, perceived workload, usability, and barriers and facilitators to use in practice. Overall RE-AIM ratings for AcciMap were relatively high, and more moderate for Net-HARMS. Time constraints was the most frequently identified barrier to the use of both methods in practice, while there was more organisational resistance to Net-HARMS uptake. Facilitators for the use of both methods include providing quality training and mentorship, additional time and software resources, and dedicated job roles.

The paper examines a 'circulatory' system of gender inequity in Australian universities where gender bias prevents women from accessing senior decision-making roles and stultifies their capacity to act as gender change agents. It has been mooted that equity quotas for senior roles can derail this circuit of male privilege in academia. Yet a plastic reading of the shape of gender equity policy and practice in Australian universities over the last 40 years reveals an increasing acceptance of individualism, which positions women's liberation as being achievable through self-responsibilisation. If these discourses remain unchallenged, gender quotas for senior roles alone will likely only benefit those entrepreneurial women admitted to senior positions, rendering the causes of gender inequity hidden and exonerated. Using a novel methodology that combines a 'plastic' with a complex systems lens of policy manoeuvres, we suggest gender quotas, accompanied by strategy designed to develop leaders' gender competency and change agency, are required to support more sustainably equitable work structure within the academy.

PhD students are particularly vulnerable to experiencing poor mental health. Mental health concerns that arise during their studies can not only affect their study progress but also have long-lasting impacts on their mental health after their studies. Extensive research has been conducted on the mental health of university students, but few studies have focused on PhD students and even fewer on PhD students in Australia. The present study investigated demographic, occupational, psychological, social, and relational determinants of mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, and suicidality) in PhD students in Australia. PhD students enrolled in Australian universities were invited to complete an online survey. Results from regression analyses identified key determinants of mental health symptoms in our sample of PhD students (N = 302). In particular, higher levels of imposter thoughts, perfectionism discrepancy, and loneliness were strong predictors of depression, anxiety, and suicidality. These findings contribute to our understanding of the mental health of PhD students in Australia. Importantly, these findings inform areas of focus where potential strategies can be implemented to better protect the mental health of this population. For example, strategies that mitigate loneliness or foster effective, collaborative student-supervisor relationships.

Identifying design requirements for new technologies is vitally important for successful uptake, yet few structured approaches exist to guide the process. Given increasing concerns regarding gig economy worker road safety, this study involved the use of Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA), alongside a participatory design process, to identify requirements for a novel, app-based incident reporting tool for gig economy workers. Study 1 involved a stakeholder workshop to refine a Work Domain Analysis model and define stakeholder requirements for the tool. Study 2 involved focus groups to identify barriers and facilitators to using the tool and a survey to inform the development of a Contextual Activity Template, in addition to identifying further barriers and facilitators. Design requirements for the tool were identified through synthesising the CWA outputs and themes identified from stakeholder and end user input.